Watford boss Walter Mazzarri has warned his players not to relax as they head into the final six matches of the Premier League season all but safe.

The Hornets travel to relegation-threatened Hull on the back of beating fellow strugglers Swansea 1-0 last weekend, which moved them onto 40 points.

Traditionally, that mark has proved enough to retain top-flight status, and sees the Hertfordshire club 12 clear of the scrap for survival and also still with a game in hand on third-bottom Swansea.

Mazzarri accepts it would be easy for his team to already imagine themselves on their summer breaks, but wants complete focus for the run-in as he evaluates plans for next season.

“It is not easy to motivate the players after the win on Saturday, they might feel safe,” the Italian said.

“I hope to manage to get into their heads everything that we have spoken about in the week (during training).

“I was a player once, unfortunately, subconsciously, if you reach your target you relax, so I am curious to see what is going to happen when we play on Saturday.”

Mazzarri added at a press conference: “There are concepts that I have tried to instill since I first got here – that players give the best every match, don’t look at the table.

“Now, we have got six finals and they need to give the best and also in these six matches I will see who’s going to stay next season.”

Mazzarri is not taking Hull’s challenge lightly, with Marco Silva’s side having pulled themselves back out of the bottom three, albeit having lost the past two matches away to Manchester City and Stoke.

“They won against important teams; Bournemouth, Liverpool, West Ham and Swansea. If we look at the home record and the points they have at home they are in a good way,” the Watford boss said.

Captain Troy Deeney was restored to the Watford line-up against Swansea after being named on the bench at Tottenham.

Mazzarri sees no reason why he and the 10-goal forward should have any issues over selection.

“Troy has been on the bench only three times. When I make the choice, I only do it thinking about the team. Many times in my career I’ve named the captain on the bench but I always make my decision with the interest of the squad,” he added.

“John Terry has been at Chelsea for 20 years and is the captain. He has been on the bench, but that doesn’t mean they don’t respect him or they don’t listen to him.

“My relationship with the player doesn’t change if I pick him or don’t pick him.”